Piped natural gas gains popularity

NEW DELHI: What started as an experiment is fast becoming a ghar ghar ki kahani. Delhiites are increasingly opting for Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and many prefer it over domestic LPG cylinders. The USP: It''s cheaper, available round-the-clock, and getting a connection is just a phone call away. More so, the meters are installed right inside your home, making them tamper-proof.
Since 1998 when Delhi was first introduced to natural gas, the consumption of PNG has grown phenomenally."We have reached 16,000 domestic consumers and aim to cover another 30,000 by next year," Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) managing director A K De said. IGL is, in fact, targeting all the 36 lakh LPG connections in the city.
Initially tried in areas like Kaka Nagar, Bapa Nagar, Pandara Road, Pandara Park, Sunder Nagar and Sujan Singh Park, PNG can now be found in most south Delhi homes.
Indeed, PNG has spread its net to 21 localities across the city. As many as 119 commercial consumers (18 large and 101 small), including Hyatt Regency, The Oberoi, and Hotel Taj Mansingh have signed up for PNG.
While some societies in Mayur Vihar Phase I will get PNG connections this month, R K Puram Sector 9, Mayur Vihar (Phase I), Vasant Kunj (Pockets C-1, C-2, C-3, C-8, B-10, B-11), Rohini Sector 9, Kali Bari Marg are next in line. "We plan to start the supply in these places by April next year," an official said.
Besides these areas, IGL is also planning to take PNG supply to NCR towns like Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Gurgaon.
The only hurdle, De pointed out, was the time-consuming procedure of getting permission to lay pip-elines from government agencies.
Interestingly, IGL already has much of infrastructure in place. "Pipelines used are the same for CNG, except that PNG is supplied at lower pressure. The colonies are connected to main pipeline using spur pipelines," a senior official added.
What''s in it for consumers? Though technically PNG is 10% cheaper to LPG, the overall saving adds up to 40%, De said.
"In a LPG cylinder one can never be sure of the right weight, whereas the supply for PNG is metered," he added.